⤗To take Gonzo, or not to take Gonzo

Many of you may know my adorable mutt, Gonzalo. For short, Gonzo, for long, Gorgonzola. I adopted him about three years ago from a shelter not too far from Budapest. He was only a few months old then and from the very beginning I could tell that he was an incredibly timid dog. Every sudden movement, every unexpected sound would cause him to pull his tail between his legs and cower in fear. Since then he has gotten a whole lot of lovin' which has made him a bit less of a scaredy cat but we still have some issues. He is a super active dog who loves a good stick and hours of cuddles.

At first I was adamant about him not joining us on our trip. I thought, a dog has no place traveling around in a small van across four countries. I even had a plan set up for where he would stay. My friend Réka (shout out: love ya babe!♥) and him have a great relationship so I knew he would be happy and safe with her while I was gone. However, the more I thought about it the more I fell in love with the idea of him coming with us. I also would have felt incredibly guilty if I had left him behind. I even have a hard time leaving him behind for just a few days so I don't know how I would have managed three months

This past winter was rough to say the least. There were changes in my life that left me helpless and just straight up sad. So, I spent a good 3-4 months feeling sorry for myself and barely left my room. Gonzo would get his 2-3 walks per day around my building but that is about it. This left a mark on him, even the two of our relationship changed drastically because of this lousy period. To make it up to him I want to take him on the greatest adventure of his life. I can imagine walking him through the narrow streets of Venice (just think of the world of new smells for him) and letting him run free on the coast of the French Riviera.

Obviously, bringing Gonzo with us presents a number of challenges. He is not always the most obedient dog as many of you may know. However, I think this is a great opportunity for him to gain some self confidence to improve on the whole timidness situation. So, like everything else, we will work it out. He has his own spot in the van on the back seat (obviously covered so that Laci won't kill me because of the dog hair) and we also have a big comfy basket that we are hoping he will sleep in outside when the weather provides. What is most important is that we will all be together and he will continue to get a whole lot of lovin'! Gonzo's own Instagram is coming soon so don't forget to follow his adventure as well! ALSO, if you have any tips for traveling with a dog don't hesitate to share!

Signing out- Sylvi